The Wilmington Police Department continues to encourage the public to be aware of phone scams.
Similar to scams reported by partner agencies in the area and across the country, scammers will sometimes invoke the name of a police officer or a law enforcement agency. They will often allege that an individual – or a family member – has a pending charge or warrant, and then direct them to take some action, such as paying a fine using a payment card or gift card, or other means.
In some cases, scammers have also demanded payment in the form of cryptocurrency or precious metals like gold.
Some scammers also “spoof” published phone numbers of law enforcement agencies, including ours and others in Delaware, so that their calls appear to be coming directly from a police department.
Please note:
- A police department or law enforcement agency will never contact a member of the public to solicit funds
- The only way to alleviate a warrant is to appear at the agency, or at the issuing court
- Gift cards, cryptocurrency or precious metals are never accepted to satisfy legitimate fines or fees imposed by a law enforcement agency or court
We encourage the public to be wary of unsolicited calls, particularly when a caller demands immediate action or payment, and
anyone who receives a call like this is encouraged to contact police to verify the authenticity of the call.
If you believe you have been a victim of a crime like this, or have received a call like those described above, we encourage you contact Detective Michael Hayman of the WPD Criminal Investigations Division at (302) 576-3963.
